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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. date — the fruit
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com